Re: Dormant cards? If you use them does score drop like a new card?

Good question! I have one too. If you pay your balances off before your card statement comes out does the CRA see you as not using credit? How would they know if you charged 15,000 on your american express then paid it off the next day?

They wouldn't! But, for the best score, you want 1-9% util to actually post on your account each statement.

Re: Dormant cards? If you use them does score drop like a new card?

I used a dormant card a few months back, and it raised my score by few points. Now I'll have to dig out all my dormant cards and put a tankful of gas on them, one by one

Maybe that will counteract my score dropping from the 'increase in balance' on another

That drop showed me just how flawed the system is. I have one card that gives 1 to 3 % rebate which can be used for gasoline ! Now who couldn't use a little free gas these days? Soooo, I started putting every possible monthly expense on that card. (which is paid in full every month). Even though it is paid off every month, the cc company shows me carrying a monthly balance - arrgghh. That card balance varies from $1500 to $5000 a month, depending on the time of year (ie heating season, etc). They need to change their formula for this and factor in monthly interest charges, which have been ZERO since I got the card. Factoring in interest charges would help eliminate being penalized for carrying cc debt for those of us who pay off every card every month.

Re: Dormant cards? If you use them does score drop like a new card?

vfma1971 wrote:

:

That drop showed me just how flawed the system is. I have one card that gives 1 to 3 % rebate which can be used for gasoline ! Now who couldn't use a little free gas these days? Soooo, I started putting every possible monthly expense on that card. (which is paid in full every month). Even though it is paid off every month, the cc company shows me carrying a monthly balance - arrgghh. That card balance varies from $1500 to $5000 a month, depending on the time of year (ie heating season, etc). They need to change their formula for this and factor in monthly interest charges, which have been ZERO since I got the card. Factoring in interest charges would help eliminate being penalized for carrying cc debt for those of us who pay off every card every month.

That is why I pay my cards twice a month - most of it BEFORE the statement posts (ain't online CCs wonderful - you can see what your current balance is ), the rest after the statement comes out. So I have low utilization for FICO and have no finance charges

The slide from grace is really more like glidingAnd I've found the trick is not to stop the slidingBut to find a graceful way of staying slid

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION: All FICO® Score products made available on myFICO.com include a FICO® Score 8, along with additional FICO® Score versions. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO® Score than the versions you receive from myFICO, or another type of credit score altogether. Learn more

FICO, myFICO, Score Watch, The score lenders use, and The Score That Matters are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fair Isaac Corporation. Equifax Credit Report is a trademark of Equifax, Inc. and its affiliated companies. Many factors affect your FICO Score and the interest rates you may receive. Fair Isaac is not a credit repair organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. Fair Isaac does not provide "credit repair" services or advice or assistance regarding "rebuilding" or "improving" your credit record, credit history or credit rating. FTC's website on credit.